I’ve just learned that the entrance tent for The Great Jack O’Lantern Blaze will be significantly expanded this year and with have some cool new features, including – believe it or not – chandeliers made out of pumpkins. Now THAT sounds cool. The chandeliers are being designed by Michael Natiello, creative director for the Blaze.

The enlarged tent will help Blaze organizers with two goals this year. One is to provide full pumpkin ambiance well before visitors enter the illuminated path. And besides serving as a palette for clever pumpkin tricks, the tent will provide better circulation and access for the thousands of visitors who flock to Van Cortlandt Manor each night of the Blaze.

Better circulation is also leading to discussions about the area in front of the Manor House, which leads to the narrow “Long Walk.” As Gabe from Long Island points out in comments on an earlier entry , that area can bottleneck easily as visitors take pictures and gawk at the spectacle of the house lit with pumpkins, then funnel down the Long Walk. Blaze organizers are hoping a more defined path in front of the house will alleviate the issue. Got other suggestions? Let me know and I’ll pass them along.